Rollable window screen



-J ly16,1946. H. w. THOMA 2,404,251

ROL'LABLE wnmow SCREEN Original Filed March 16, 1940 mvgmog I A {\TTORNEY.

Patented July 16, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcs ROLLABLE WINDOW SCREEN I Harry W. Thomas, Miami Beach, Fla., assignor to Irving Rossi, New York, N. Y., as trustee Original application March 16, 1940, SerialNo. 324,395. Divided and this application April 4, 1944, Serial No. 529,432

This invention is a division of my application Serial No. 324,395 filed March '16, 1940gwhich has eventuated into Patent 2,349,225 'ofMay 16,

1944, and relates to a rollable sheet for covering window openings.

Specifically my invention contemplates a rollable sheet made of a series of slats of synthetic thermally workable material, the slats being laminated together, the joints between the slats in Nylon, or an opaque or transparent sheet of relatively inflexible material laminated or laid together in such a manner as to render it flexible. The screen and the opaque or transparent sheet may be so interconnected that the raising or,

lowering of one will complementarily lower or raise the other; and the opaque or transparent sheet may, if desired, be used without a screen.

A rollable window screen of the type of my invention may also be utilized in connection with a sliding window sash and may be attached thereto in any suitable manner.

Many other objects and uses of this invention will in part be apparent and in part pointed out in the following description and drawing in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective showing one form of edge binding of the rollable window screen;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective showing the use of the rollable window screen of my invention in connection with a sliding window sash;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective showing the utilization of the rollable window screen of my invention in connection with a rollable sheet; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view of a portion of the rollable sheet of Figure 3.

Referring to Figure 1, I have shown a portion of a rollable window screen comprising the 3 Claims. 160-5133) screening material 20 which in normal operation tension in thedirection shown by the arrows 83. This rollable window screen has a binding 6i secured thereto in the manner described in my patent for Screen frames, Patent No. 2,297,729, issued October 6, 1942.

This binding at may have openings 82 therein,

in which grommets of the type 66 may be inserted in order to aid in securing or which may be used for securing purposes in the condition in which they appear in Figure 1.

These openings 82, when the screen 20 is subjected to the lateral tension indicatedby the arrows 83, are subjected to a tension at their edges in a direction indicated by the arrows .84

and accordingly the binding ,meansBii should be of suflicient strengthto resist this tension.

However, the space between the arrows 84 is not necessarily subjected to couhterbalancing tension. and hence since the material 86 is preferably elastic and flexible, this material may yield to the tension indicated by the arrows 83 and may thus be pulled out of the guides or,- at the very least, unsightly gaps may occur.

In order to provide lateral stability which will prevent this result while at the same time retaining the flexibility of the binding of the screen, I have provided for the insertion within the binding 86 at the edge thereof of a flexible .metal strip 8| which may be placed. in the 'rollingposiw tion but which will be rigid with respect to transverse forces and thus will serve to maintainthe lateral stability of the binding withoutinter fering with the reliability of the screen. Since the metal strip 8| by reason of its cross-section will not yield when tensioning forces are pro duced thereon in the direction indicated by the arrows 83, unsightly gaps or the possibilityof.

will be withdrawn from the window opening as the screen is drawn thereinto.

The rollable window screen is at Iiil mounted in the top II of the window and the edge I06 thereof is supported in suitable guides in the manner hereinbefore described. The rollable transparent or opaque sheet I02 having an edge I!" adapted to cooperate with window guides is also mounted on preferablya spring roller I 03 which in turn is rotatably mounted withinthe roller box I04 preferably located just beneath the window sill.

Thescreen 20 and the rollable sheet I02 are: interconnected at H in the manner shown; that is, the bar at the bottom of the screen may be interconnected with a similar bar at the top of the rollable sheet I02.

Either the screen 29 or the rollable sheet I02 may be operated individually and for this pur pose it is desirable that the interconnection therebetween at I05 should be a releasable one and hence should be effected by releasable fastening devices such as clips, toggles, hooks, spring clips,

into or out of the window opening.

snap fasteners, releasable locks, turn studs or any. I

other suitable but releasable fastening means.

When the screen and the rollable sheet I02 are thusdisconnected, then either or-both mem Both the screen 20 and the window sash 98 7 'may operate in suitable guides in the jamb 93 of thewindow frame. The sash 90 and the screen 2i] may be interconnected in any suitable manbers may be permitted to be-rewound on their respective rollers.

V In such case also, either or. both members may be unwound from their ree spective rollers and left in any suitable position. 7

by being secured to their window guides in the manner previously pointed out or any other suitable rnanner.

The thin transparent or translucent or opaque flexible material forming rollable sheet N32 .may

be made of any suitable material which itself is inherently flexible or rollable or may be made of any'material which may be formed in such a manner as to be flexible or rollable. rial of which the rollable sheet may be made thus includes all of the materials heretofore mentioned including Nylon or any other inorganic or organic material, as well as cellulose derivatives of various kindsand acetate materials.

Where'the material itself in sheet form is not inherently sufiiciently, flexible for the purpose, then it may be laminated in any suitable manner or hinged in any suitable manner to obtain the desired flexibility.

Thus as seen in Figure ,4, the sheet I02 may. consist of strips of nylon Ill] and HI laminated togetherwith staggered joints H2. The joints H2 by reason of the fact that they are staggered in the manner shown in Figure 4 permit even a slight amount of flexibility in each of the slats Ill and H2 to have a cumulative efiect which permits the sheet to be rollable.

The sheet 102 where it is not desired to form;

y it the mann'er shown in Figure 4 or where it itself is not necessarily inherently flexible may be formed around an open wire netting or such wire,

netting or'reinforcing may be an interlayer be tween two sheets of the transparent, translucent or opaque flexible material which are cemented togetherorjoined in an autoclave or in any other suitable apparatus. 7 v V .The flexible sheet'lUZ need not necessarily be mounted at the bottom of the window as seen in Figure 3 but may be mounted atthe top or at the side in any suitable manner to provide fora semi-permanent or permanent slidablecov- 'ering for the window or a louvre for the window or may be imilarly used in any form of window construction, 5

Flexible elastic tapes of the type hereinabove described and of the type described in my abovementioned patent for screen frames may be appliedat the longitudinal edges in order to provide The mate ner. Thus, for instance, as 'seen in Figure 2, the

.top' of the window sash may carry a rigid bar 91 having a channel or suitable groove therein and the bar of the screen 29 may carry a similar'bar 92'formed1and arranged to interengage with the bar 9|. These cooperating bars 9! and92 may be of metal or plastic material or of any other suitablematerial. I

, These bar -9I and 92 may easily bedisengaged to; permit separate operation of the sash :or the screen.

.,'While;the' manner of engagement between the bars 9 I and 92shown in Figure 2 is preferred, any other suitable readily releasable engagement means may be utilized for this purpose.

I have here described but a few of the uses of my'rollable Window screen and only the preferred forms of construction in which the same may be embodied. Many other uses of the rollable window'screen or of the rollable sheet hereinabove set forth will now be obviousto those skilled n the art. r V

' Many other types of bindings falling within this invention will now beobvious from the foregoing description and many other types of screen materials and the'combination therewith of bindings of various types which will not interfere with rollability will also be obvious and many other use of such rollable screenswill also be clear to those skilled in the art. I prefer there fore to be limited not by the specific disclosures hereinabove set forth but onlyby the appended claims; e

"I claim:

1. A rollable sheet for window openings, said sheet being made of transparent synthetic thermally workable material and being mounted on a roller, and windable on and off said roller, said sheet comprising a serie of slats of said material, laminated together, the joints between the slats in different 'laminations being staggered with respect to eachother. a

2. A rollable sheet for window openings, said sheet being made of transparent synthetic thermallyworkable material and being mounted on a roller, said sheet comprising a series of slats of said material, laminated together.

3. A rollable sheet of synthetic thermoplastic material, said sheet comprising a series of slats of said material laminated together, the joints between the slats in different laminations being staggeredwith respect to each other.

, Y Q HARRY 1V. THOMAS, 

